Handbook of Psychology, Volume 3: Biological Psychology

746 Pages·2005·9.93 MB·English

HANDBOOK
of
PSYCHOLOGY
VOLUME 3
BIOLOGICALPSYCHOLOGY
Michela Gallagher
Randy J. Nelson
Volume Editors
Irving B. Weiner
Editor-in-Chief
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
HANDBOOK
of
PSYCHOLOGY
This book is printed on acid-free paper.➇
Copyright ©2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Handbook of psychology / Irving B. Weiner, editor-in-chief.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Contents: v. 1. History of psychology / edited by Donald K. Freedheim — v. 2. Research
methods in psychology / edited by John A. Schinka, Wayne F. Velicer — v. 3. Biological
psychology / edited by Michela Gallagher, Randy J. Nelson — v. 4. Experimental
psychology / edited by Alice F. Healy, Robert W. Proctor — v. 5. Personality and social
psychology / edited by Theodore Millon, Melvin J. Lerner — v. 6. Developmental
psychology / edited by Richard M. Lerner, M. Ann Easterbrooks, Jayanthi Mistry — v. 7.
Educational psychology / edited by William M. Reynolds, Gloria E. Miller — v. 8.
Clinical psychology / edited by George Stricker, Thomas A. Widiger — v. 9. Health psychology /
edited by Arthur M. Nezu, Christine Maguth Nezu, Pamela A. Geller — v. 10. Assessment
psychology / edited by John R. Graham, Jack A. Naglieri — v. 11. Forensic psychology /
edited by Alan M. Goldstein — v. 12. Industrial and organizational psychology / edited
by Walter C. Borman, Daniel R. Ilgen, Richard J. Klimoski.
ISBN 0-471-17669-9 (set) — ISBN 0-471-38320-1 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 1)
— ISBN 0-471-38513-1 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 2) — ISBN 0-471-38403-8 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 3)
— ISBN 0-471-39262-6 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 4) — ISBN 0-471-38404-6 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 5)
— ISBN 0-471-38405-4 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 6) — ISBN 0-471-38406-2 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 7)
— ISBN 0-471-39263-4 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 8) — ISBN 0-471-38514-X (cloth : alk. paper : v. 9)
— ISBN 0-471-38407-0 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 10) — ISBN 0-471-38321-X (cloth : alk. paper : v. 11)
— ISBN 0-471-38408-9 (cloth : alk. paper : v. 12)
1. Psychology. I. Weiner, Irving B.
BF121.H1955 2003
150—dc21
2002066380
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Editorial Board
Volume 1 Volume 5 Volume 9
History of Psychology Personality and Social Psychology Health Psychology
Donald K. Freedheim, PhD Theodore Millon, PhD Arthur M. Nezu, PhD
Case Western Reserve University Institute for Advanced Studies in Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD
Cleveland, Ohio Personology and Psychopathology Pamela A. Geller, PhD
Coral Gables, Florida
Drexel University
Melvin J. Lerner, PhD Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Volume 2 Florida Atlantic University
Research Methods in Psychology Boca Raton, Florida Volume 10
Assessment Psychology
John A. Schinka, PhD
University of South Florida Volume 6 John R. Graham, PhD
Tampa, Florida Developmental Psychology Kent State University
Kent, Ohio
Wayne F. Velicer, PhD Richard M. Lerner, PhD
University of Rhode Island M. Ann Easterbrooks, PhD Jack A. Naglieri, PhD
Kingston, Rhode Island Jayanthi Mistry, PhD George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
Volume 11
Volume 3
Forensic Psychology
Biological Psychology Volume 7
Educational Psychology Alan M. Goldstein, PhD
Michela Gallagher, PhD
John Jay College of Criminal
Johns Hopkins University William M. Reynolds, PhD
Justice–CUNY
Baltimore, Maryland Humboldt State University
New York, New York
Arcata, California
Randy J. Nelson, PhD
Ohio State University Gloria E. Miller, PhD Volume 12
Columbus, Ohio University of Denver Industrial and Organizational
Psychology
Denver, Colorado
Walter C. Borman, PhD
Volume 4 Volume 8 University of South Florida
Experimental Psychology Clinical Psychology Tampa, Florida
Alice F. Healy, PhD George Stricker, PhD Daniel R. Ilgen, PhD
University of Colorado Adelphi University Michigan State University
Boulder, Colorado Garden City, New York East Lansing, Michigan
Robert W. Proctor, PhD Thomas A. Widiger, PhD Richard J. Klimoski, PhD
Purdue University University of Kentucky George Mason University
West Lafayette, Indiana Lexington, Kentucky Fairfax, Virginia
v

Handbook of Psychology Preface
Psychologyatthebeginningofthetwenty-firstcenturyhas Asecond unifying thread in psychology is a commitment
becomeahighlydiversefieldofscientificstudyandapplied to the development and utilization of research methods
technology.Psychologistscommonlyregardtheirdiscipline suitable for collecting and analyzing behavioral data. With
asthescienceofbehavior,andtheAmericanPsychological attention both to specific procedures and their application
Association has formally designated 2000 to 2010 as the in particular settings, Volume 2 addresses research methods
“DecadeofBehavior.”Thepursuitsofbehavioralscientists in psychology.
rangefromthenaturalsciencestothesocialsciencesandem- Volumes 3 through 7 of the Handbook present the sub-
braceawidevarietyofobjectsofinvestigation.Somepsy- stantive content of psychological knowledge in five broad
chologistshavemoreincommonwithbiologiststhanwith areas of study: biological psychology (Volume 3), experi-
mostotherpsychologists,andsomehavemoreincommon mental psychology (Volume 4), personality and social psy-
withsociologiststhanwithmostoftheirpsychologicalcol- chology (Volume 5), developmental psychology (Volume 6),
leagues.Somepsychologistsareinterestedprimarilyinthebe- and educational psychology (Volume 7). Volumes 8 through
haviorofanimals,someinthebehaviorofpeople,andothers 12 address the application of psychological knowledge in
inthebehavioroforganizations.Theseandotherdimensions five broad areas of professional practice: clinical psychology
ofdifferenceamongpsychologicalscientistsarematchedby (Volume 8), health psychology (Volume 9), assessment psy-
equalifnotgreaterheterogeneityamongpsychologicalpracti- chology (Volume 10), forensic psychology (Volume 11), and
tioners,whocurrentlyapplyavastarrayofmethodsinmany industrial and organizational psychology (Volume 12). Each
differentsettingstoachievehighlyvariedpurposes. of these volumes reviews what is currently known in these
Psychology has been rich in comprehensive encyclope- areas of study and application and identifies pertinent sources
dias and in handbooks devoted to specific topics in the field. of information in the literature. Each discusses unresolved is-
However, there has not previously been any single handbook sues and unanswered questions and proposes future direc-
designed to cover the broad scope of psychological science tions in conceptualization, research, and practice. Each of the
and practice. The present 12-volume Handbook of Psychol- volumes also reflects the investment of scientific psycholo-
ogy was conceived to occupy this place in the literature. gists in practical applications of their findings and the atten-
Leading national and international scholars and practitioners tion of applied psychologists to the scientific basis of their
have collaborated to produce 297 authoritative and detailed methods.
chapters covering all fundamental facets of the discipline, The Handbook of Psychology was prepared for the pur-
and the Handbookhas been organized to capture the breadth pose of educating and informing readers about the present
and diversity of psychology and to encompass interests and state of psychological knowledge and about anticipated ad-
concerns shared by psychologists in all branches of the field. vances in behavioral science research and practice. With this
Two unifying threads run through the science of behavior. purpose in mind, the individual Handbook volumes address
The first is a common history rooted in conceptual and em- the needs and interests of three groups. First, for graduate stu-
pirical approaches to understanding the nature of behavior. dents in behavioral science, the volumes provide advanced
The specific histories of all specialty areas in psychology instruction in the basic concepts and methods that define the
trace their origins to the formulations of the classical philoso- fields they cover, together with a review of current knowl-
phers and the methodology of the early experimentalists, and edge, core literature, and likely future developments. Second,
appreciation for the historical evolution of psychology in all in addition to serving as graduate textbooks, the volumes
of its variations transcends individual identities as being one offer professional psychologists an opportunity to read and
kind of psychologist or another. Accordingly, Volume 1 in contemplate the views of distinguished colleagues concern-
the Handbook is devoted to the history of psychology as ing the central thrusts of research and leading edges of prac-
it emerged in many areas of scientific study and applied tice in their respective fields. Third, for psychologists seeking
technology. to become conversant with fields outside their own specialty
vii
viii Handbook of Psychology Preface
and for persons outside of psychology seeking informa- valuable contributions to the literature. I would like finally to
tion about psychological matters, the Handbook volumes express my appreciation to the editorial staff of John Wiley
serve as a reference source for expanding their knowledge and Sons for the opportunity to share in the development of
and directing them to additional sources in the literature. this project and its pursuit to fruition, most particularly to
The preparation of this Handbook was made possible by Jennifer Simon, Senior Editor, and her two assistants, Mary
the diligence and scholarly sophistication of the 25 volume Porterfield and Isabel Pratt. Without Jennifer’s vision of the
editors and co-editors who constituted the Editorial Board. Handbookand her keen judgment and unflagging support in
As Editor-in-Chief, I want to thank each of them for the plea- producing it, the occasion to write this preface would not
sure of their collaboration in this project. I compliment them have arrived.
for having recruited an outstanding cast of contributors to
their volumes and then working closely with these authors to IRVINGB. WEINER
achieve chapters that will stand each in their own right as Tampa, Florida
Volume Preface
The topic of this volume represents a perspective that can be psychologists, as reflected in the contents of this volume.
traced to the founding of psychology as a scientific disci- Researchinthefieldofpsychologyusingdifferentspecies
pline. Since the late 19th century, biological psychologists servesadualpurpose.Manystudiesusingnonhumanspecies
have used the methods of the natural sciences to study rela- aremotivatedbytheutilityofinformationthatcanbegained
tionships between biological and psychological processes. thatisrelevanttohumans,usingarangeofpreparationsand
Today, a natural science perspective and the investigation of techniquesinresearchthatarenototherwisepossible.Ofequal
biological processes have increasingly penetrated all areas of importance,comparativeresearchprovidesinsightsintovari-
psychology. For instance, social and personality psycholo- ationinbiologicalorganisms.Studiesofavarietyofspecies
gists have become conversant with evolutionary concepts in canshowhowdifferentsolutionshavebeenachievedforboth
their studies of traits, prejudice, and even physical attraction. processinginputfromtheenvironmentandelaboratingadap-
Many cognitive psychologists have forsaken black boxes in tivebehavioralstrategies.Theorganizationandcontentofthis
favor of functional magnetic resonance imaging brain scans, volumefocussquarelyontheneedtorecognizethesedualob-
and clinical psychologists, as participants in the mental jectivesinstudiesofbiologicalandpsychologicalprocesses.
health care of their clients, have become more familiar with Thequestionofhowtranslationismadeacrossspeciesis
the basis for the action of pharmacological therapeutics on ever more central to the undertaking of biological psychol-
the brain. The scientific revolution in molecular biology and ogy. In the not-distant past, most psychologists viewed re-
genetics will continue to fuel the biological psychology per- searchusingnonhumananimalsasirrelevanttoabroadrange
spective. Indeed, it can be anticipated that some of the most ofpsychologicalfunctionsinhumans,includingaffectiveand
significant scientific discoveries of the 21st century will cognitiveprocessesthatwereconsideredexclusivecapacities
come from understanding the biological basis of psychologi- of the human mind and social lives of humans in relation-
cal functions. ships. Today, animal models are increasingly recognized as
Thecontributorstothisvolumeprovidethereaderwithan possessingatleastsomeelementsofcognitiveandaffective
accessibleviewofthecontemporaryfieldofbiologicalpsy- processes that are potentially informative for understanding
chology.Thechaptersspancontentareasfrombasicsensory normalfunctionsanddisordersinhumans.Thisprogresshas
systems to memory and language and include a perspective contributedtoanumberofresearchareasdescribedintheen-
on different levels of scientific analysis from molecules to suing chapters, many of which include insights that have
computationalmodelsofbiologicalsystems.Wehaveassem- come from using new gene targeting technology. Because
bledthismaterialwithaviewtowardengagingthefieldand humanstudiesdonotprovidetheopportunityforrigorousex-
ourreadershipinanappreciationoftheaccomplishmentsand perimental control and manipulation of genetic, molecular,
special role of biological psychology in the discipline. cellular, and brain and behavioral system processes, the use
Notwithstandingthetrendforagreaterinfluenceofbiologi- ofgeneticallymanipulatedmicehasbecomeapowerfultool
cal studies in the field of psychology in general, biological in research.At the same time, the limitations and pitfalls of
psychology represents a distinctive fusion of biology and wholesaleacceptanceofsuchanimalmodelsarecleartobio-
psychologyinitstheoryandmethods.Forexample,evolution logical psychologists. In addition to the fact that mouse
asafundamentaltenetinthefieldofbiologyhaslongperme- species have faced different evolutionary pressures and
ated the work of biological psychologists.The rapid growth adaptedtodifferentecologicalniches,theuseofgenetically
in publications in the area of evolutionary psychology over alteredsystemspresentsnewchallengesbecausethesenovel
the past two decades suggests a growing acceptance of the micearelikelytoexpressnewconstraintsandinfluencesbe-
importanceofevolutionaryideasinthebehavioralsciences. yond their target characters. The tradition of comparative
Inadditiontothisinfluence,thecontributionofbiology, studiesofdifferentanimalspeciesmakestheroleofbiologi-
rooted in evolutionary and ethological traditions, has cal psychology central to the effort to use these new and
sustainedabroadbaseofcomparativestudiesbybiological powerfulapproachestoadvancescientificunderstanding.
ix
x Volume Preface
Arelated overriding theme in biological psychology is the methods for inferring the evolutionary history of psychologi-
significance of translating across levels of analysis. Biologi- cal characteristics, as well as to determine how best to char-
cal descriptions of psychological processes are viewed acterize psychological adaptations.
by many, particularly outside the field, as a reductionist As mentioned, within the past 10 years a novel intellectual
endeavor. As such, reductionism might represent merely a bridge has been formed between psychology and molecular
descent to a level of description in which psychological func- biology. Molecular biologists have mapped large segments of
tions are translated into the physical and chemical lexicon of the mouse genome as part of the ambitious Human Genome
molecular events. It is increasingly evident that research Project. As genes have been identified and sequenced, mo-
directed across levels of analysis serves yet another purpose. lecular biologists have begun the difficult task of identifying
In addition to determining biological substrates, such investi- the functions of these genes. An increasingly common ge-
gations can work in the other direction, to test between com- netic engineering technique used to discover the function of
peting hypotheses and models of psychological functions. It genes is targeted disruption (knockout) of a single gene. By
isalso the case that molecular biologists who study the brain selectively disrupting the expression of a single gene, molec-
are increasingly seeking contact with investigators who work ular biologists reason that the function of that targeted gene
at the level of systems. More genes are expressed in the brain can be determined. In other cases, a specific gene is added
than in all other organs of the body combined. Gene expres- (knockin). In many cases, the phenotypic description of
sion is controlled by intricate information-processing net- knockout and knockin mice includes alterations in behavior.
works within a neuron and is inextricably tied to the activity In chapter 2 Stephen C. Maxson explores behavior genetics,
of neurons as elements in larger information-processing sys- generally, and describes the implications of molecular genet-
tems. Psychological functions (e.g., the conditions that are ics for psychology, specifically. He describes classic studies
sufficient to produce long-term memory or the environmental on the heritability of behavior (viz., selective breeding) as
inputs that are necessary to elicit maternal behavior) will aid well as twin and adoption studies. Maxson adroitly docu-
in understanding the functional significance of complex mo- ments gene mapping and genome projects in relation to
lecular systems at the cellular level. Scientific advances are behavioral studies. After presenting an introduction to mo-
rapidly shifting the biological psychology paradigm from one lecular and developmental genetics, he emphasizes the im-
of reductionism to an appreciation that vertical integration portance of population genetics in studies of the evolution of
across levels of analysis is essential to understand the proper- behavior. Finally, Maxson explores the ethical and legal man-
ties of biological organisms. ifestations of behavioral genetics in the context of academics
In chapter 1 Russil Durrant and Bruce J. Ellis introduce and society as a whole.
some of the core ideas and assumptions that comprise the Using the comparative method has been particularly suc-
field of evolutionary psychology. Although they focus on re- cessful for understanding the sensory and perceptual machin-
productive behaviors, Durrant and Ellis also illustrate how ery in animals. In chapter 3 Gerald H. Jacobs describes the
the ideas of evolutionary psychology can be employed in the great success that he and others have had using the compara-
development of specific, testable hypotheses, about human tive approach to elucidate the mechanisms and processes un-
mind and behavior. Their ideas go far past the usual mating derlying vision. Most studies of nonhuman vision are likely
behaviors, and they even provide an adaptive scenario for motivated to understand human vision. The remaining stud-
self-esteem studies. Durrant and Ellis note that one of the ies of vision in nonhuman animals are aimed at understand-
most crucial tasks for evolutionary psychologists in the com- ing comparative features of vision in their own right, often
ing decades will be the identification and elucidation of psy- from an evolutionary perspective with the intent to discover
chological adaptations. Although most of the obvious and common and different solutions for seeing. Jacobs considers
plausible psychological adaptations have already been both approaches in his review of comparative vision. After a
cataloged, many more remain undiscovered or inadequately description of the fundamental features of photic environ-
characterized. Because adaptations are the product of natural ments, he provides basic design features and describes the
selection operating in ancestral environments, and because evolution of eyes. Jacobs then focuses on photosensitivity as
psychological traits such as jealousy, language, and self- a model of the comparative approach. He details photopig-
esteem are not easily reconstructed from material evidence ments, ocular filtering, and the role of the nervous system in
such as fossils and artifacts, direct evidence for behavioral photosensitivity. Three important issues in comparative
adaptations may be difficult to obtain. One of the challenges vision—detection of change, resolution of spatial structure,
for evolutionary psychology, according to Durrant and Ellis, and use of chromatic cues—are also addressed. Finally,
is to develop increasingly more rigorous and systematic Jacobs includes a section on the difficulty of measuring